When parents send their children to school every morning, they deserve to be assured their children are safe. There are matters that need immediate attention and as a trustee I make a commitment to resolve them.

First is a dangerous inconsistency in emergency codes used by schools and those in Vancouver Coastal Health. This came to my attention during a recent police incident involving shots being fired from a house near a high school. Police closed the street and attempted to talk the shooter into surrendering. The emergency response team used Code Green to indicate “evacuation” of the school building. But Code Green for metro school districts indicates “all clear”. An unfortunate HandyDART driver was told by school staff it was all clear and proceeded to walk his passenger past the police tape and across the street. The police officer quickly indicated to the driver he had best detour the site. Clearly emergency codes for school staff and emergency personnel must be coordinated.

Second is an ongoing concern of parents and school administrators: in B.C., children 10 to 14 years old are the most likely to be involved in pedestrian-related injuries. Trustees should push Vancouver city to examine school zone safety. Permanent traffic control features are required at school crosswalks. Inexpensive curb systems have been installed at elementary schools in Coquitlam. Vancouver should follow. Prior to the installation the engineering department in Coquitlam did a comprehensive report to identify how to make walking to school safer. Sandra Thomas, commenting on mine and Ken Denike’s press release in a Vancouver Courier article, notes: “I’ve read several lengthy studies on pedestrian safety produced or paid for by the city in recent years, but none had a focus on young children.”

Sophia Woo is a Non-Partisan Association candidate for the Vancouver school board.